The international PCT application published under WO 02/42099, herein incorporated by reference, discloses a suspension system for a trailer, featuring a pair of leaf springs extending longitudinally of the trailer frame on respective opposite sides thereof. Each leaf spring is cantilevered with one end connected to the frame and its opposite otherwise free end secured to an axle of the trailer. This prior art application teaches that the an eye-forming wrapped around end of the leaf spring may be push-fitted, friction-fitted, adhered, puddle or full welded, bolted, clip-secured or clamp-secured to the axle to rigidly fix these two elements together to prevent relative motion therebetween. The fitted, adhered, and welded options are generally not easily serviceable without special equipment. Also, spring steel generally does not weld properly to steel axles. The bolted, clip-secured, and clamp-secured options require multiple hardware pieces causing increased complexity at greater cost. As a result, it is desirable to provide an alternative arrangement for mounting an axle within an eye wrap of a leaf spring in a way that prevents rotation of the axle within the spring eye.
The solution proposed herein is not limited to use in the context of the light trailer suspension system taught in the aforementioned prior art patent application, and may be readily applied in other suspension contexts where it is desirable to limit or prevent rotation of an axle received in the eye wrap of a leaf spring.